How do I create Google Analytics 4 data sources?

Visualize, discover, and act on your data with Klips and Klip dashboards.

Ready to get the most from your Google Analytics 4 website and app data? Get started by setting up a connection between Klipfolio Klips and your Google Analytics 4 data and adding some data sources.

When you're finished creating Google Analytics 4 data sources, you'll use them to power your custom Klips.

This article includes:

• Connecting Klipfolio to your Google Analytics 4 data
• Creating a Google Analytics 4 data source
  • More about Google Analytics 4 API and queries
• Creating Google Analytics 4 custom Klips

Connecting Klipfolio to your Google Analytics 4 data

The first step in creating a Google Analytics 4 data source is to connect Klipfolio to your data.

Here are a couple things to note:

Your data is safe with us. The first time you connect your Google Analytics 4 data to Klipfolio, you'll be prompted to enter your Google Analytics 4 login credentials and give permission to allow access to the data within your Google Analytics 4 account. We are serious about protecting your data privacy.

Managing your connections. By default, your connection name looks like this: yourname@Google <date and time created>. You can modify the default connection name when you create a new connection or from your list of connections, accessed by clicking your Account Name (located at the bottom of the left navigation sidebar) and selecting Account > Connected Accounts or by clicking the button in the left navigation sidebar and selecting Connections. You can use the same account connection every time you connect to Google Analytics 4. If you have trouble accessing an existing connection, your OAuth token may have expired. If that happens to you, go here for help.

Creating a Google Analytics 4 data source

There are a couple of options when creating Google Analytics 4 data sources:

• On the Basic Settings page, you modify a default query, specifying which dimensions, metrics, and time period to include in your Google Analytics 4 data source.
• On the Custom settings page, you can make additional adjustments to the default query, for example, including segments or filters. Or, you can start over and build a new query from scratch. 

To add a Google Analytics custom data source:

1. In the left navigation sidebar, click the 3-dot menu beside Data Sources and select +New data source.
   If you don’t see this option, go to the bottom of the left navigation sidebar and click your Account Name > Data Sources > +New data source.
2. On the Where is your data? page, select Google Analytics 4.
3. If this is your first time connecting to Google Analytics 4:
   • Click Connect an account. Enter your Google Analytics 4 login credentials and click Next. If prompted, click Allow Access to enable Klipfolio to securely access your Google Analytics 4 data. Click Continue.
4. If you've connected with Google Analytics 4 before:
   • Select an existing connection (token) from the drop-down list and click Continue.
5. On the Configure your connection page, under Basic settings (Recommended), select your Analytics Account and Property or App from the drop-down lists.
   
6. To retrieve data using a simple query, stay on the Basic Settings page:
   • A default query displays in the Query field. (See below.) Refine the query by adding metrics, dimensions, and a date range. Go here for helpful information on date range choices. Tip: Use the Google Analytics 4 Query Explorer to write your query and then copy and paste it into the Query field in Klipfolio. When you're ready, click Get data.
     
7. To retrieve data using a more advanced query, click Switch to Custom settings:
   • The Query URL is auto-populated with the property ID you selected on the basic settings page. If you want to create a data source that uses variable IDs, replace the auto-included property ID with a variable ID. Learn more here.
   • At Body, enter your query. Refer to the Google Analytics 4 API documentation for help in defining your query or use the Google Analytics 4 Query Explorer to build your query (then copy and paste it into the Body field). When you're ready, click Get data.
     
8. Make sure the data to be retrieved is what you're looking for. If not, modify your query and click Get data again. When you're happy with the data, optionally, select the checkbox to Model your data. Learn more about modelling your data source. Then, click Continue.
9. Name, choose refresh settings, and, optionally, share your data source.
10. Click Save.

The data source is added to your account and is ready to use for custom Klips. You can see all your data sources in your Data Source Library, accessed by clicking Data Sources in the left navigation sidebar.

More about Google Analytics 4 API and queries

Klipfolio connects to hundreds of services in the cloud that have a REST API. If you take the time to learn your service’s API to create queries for the data you want, your possibilities are endless. Here’s a quick overview video on APIs and Klipfolio:

Klipfolio API's 101

If you need assistance using APIs, ask a data analyst or developer.

See the reference table below for API related information and quick links to learn more.

Creating Google Analytics 4 custom Klips

Now that you've created a Google Analytics 4 data source, you can return to it and use it to make custom Klips. A single data source can be used to create a single or multiple custom Klips.

To create a Google Analytics 4 custom Klip:

1. In the left navigation sidebar, click Data Sources to open your Data Source Library.
2. Select the Google Analytics 4 data source you want to use for your custom Klip.
3. On its details page, click Create a Klip.
4. In the Klip Editor, configure your custom Klip.
   If you need help, go to this article. (You can skip the “Choose the data source” step in the linked article. You’ve already chosen it.) You'll also find lots of articles on working with Klips in this section of our Knowledge Base.
5. Click Save.
   Your new Klip is ready to add to a dashboard. Learn about dashboards.

Note: You can also add Google Analytics 4 pre-built Klips. You'll find them in the Klip Gallery or, if you're a White-Label customer, in the Integration Gallery. Go to this article for detailed instructions on adding pre-built Google Analytics 4 Klips to your dashboards.

Want to learn more?

Check out these related articles:

• Klips: Introduction to data sources
• Klips: About JSON and XML data sources
• Klips: Guide to REST API data sources